1 Corinthians 16:13-14, CEB - Stay awake, stand firm in your faith, be brave, be strong. Everything should be done in love.
At the end of the first (recorded) letter
to the church in Corinth, Paul charges his beloved community to have an active
faith. Every word above implies a faith
that is at the forefront of who they are; every word implies intentional effort
and resolve. They are still good words
to focus on two thousand years later.
“Stay
awake” – A Christian cannot be on autopilot.
While it is essential to have habits (ex. spiritual disciplines) that we
faithfully practice almost without having to think about it, we also need to give
focused attention to all that is happening around us and be ready to adapt and
respond. Jesus warned about being asleep
and unprepared for what is yet to come. Paul reinforces this charge to being
actively aware of what God is doing in the present age.
“Stand
firm in your faith” – To be a follower of Jesus will naturally put one at odds
with some of the values of people around us.
The temptation is to “go with the flow” and avoid “making waves.” We are called to live our values even when it
is unpopular or even in opposition to the environmental pressures by which we
are confronted. This was true in ancient
Corinth and it is still true in modern-day America.
“Be Brave”
- Nelson Mandela once said: “I learned that courage was not the absence of
fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel
afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Christians are people who can be afraid, but move forward in spite of
those fears, trusting that God will be with them an all circumstances.
“Be
strong” – Like its physical counterpart, developing spiritual strength does not
happen automatically. To build strong physical
muscles, you must be disciplined in training those muscles on a regular
basis. Spiritual muscles are developed
in the same way. We commit to and practice
regularly those spiritual disciplines that force our faith to become
stronger.
“Everything
should be done in love.” – This sounds nice and sweet, but have you ever tried
to do EVERY SINGLE THING in love for just one day? It is HIGH BAR Paul is setting here, but it
should always be our aim nonetheless.
Questions: Which of
these final exhortations from Paul in 1 Corinthians did you need to hear the
most today? What are you going to do
about it?
Prayer: Lord, we know
we need to be awake, firm in our faith, brave, strong, and acting in constant
love toward all, but on our own, it is impossible. Help us as only You can this day to be the
people you call us to be. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for people you know who don’t have the resources of a Christian faith to face
the challenges of their lives right now.
Song: Be Strong and
Courageous – Michael W. Smith
